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Shock- churches unite!

I suppose the truth is that they DO- all the time, but no body notices. There is a feeling in me however that that the issue of personal sexuality, and the application of the word ‘marriage’ to same sex coupling still has the power to bring spittle to the lips of the faithful like no other.

Not poverty, or people unfairly imprisoned or tortured. Not restoring sight to the blind or declaring jubilee to those who are oppressed.

I know- for many of my fellow Christians, this issue is complex- full of difficult theological questions and wrapped up some kind of desperate struggle against a perception of a rising secular tide.

For me it is much simpler.

If we are to make any kind of mistake- err on the side of grace.

Oh- and get on with the things that are the proper business of the Kingdom of God.

The stuff in Matthew chapter 5, not the obscure bits of Leviticus. This bit for example;

16 The LORD said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the LORD. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.’”

If you were born with a disability then you may not go to church?

Quite clearly we find this interpretation abhorrent. In our culture (but not the one of the ancient Hebrews) to be born with disability is not shameful. You are not to be hidden away lest other people are somehow made unclean. You are not condemned to a life that is less that those around you, or excluded from parts of civic life.

4 thoughts on “Shock- churches unite!”

Love Maggy’s analogy, which accords with the comment I immediately thought of as I read your piece: Why would anyone deliberately cut off audience? If religions are intent on gathering more people, then the churches are going about it in a strange way.

Then there are the other points you make, but those have been out there a while. Sad comment. Not the God I see. But, then, religions seem more about who has the most marbles…

It is sad, and could lead to despair. Was chatting to Michaela about this the other day and thinking about all the awful things going on-in the world and right under our noses, and yet this is the issue that gets the established church (or certain branches of it) up in arms. Sad reflection once again, that our “rightness” is more important than our need to reach out in love to the poor, sick and dispossessed. I’m not a fan of this phrase, but I think in this instance it is valid to ask- “What would Jesus do??”